1.31.2008

In regards to this post by Holly, I decided to join in and do my own take on a kitchen for a home with a yellow and pretty pastels color scheme. There is something so wonderful about sharing ideas and contributing your own.

1.29.2008

I apologize that some of the images were not visible on here the past couple of days. My server has been having some problems, but everything should be fixed now. Please let me know if this happens again!

The fabulous Ez of Creature Comforts created sweet printable candy bar wrappers that are free for anyone to print out! They are perfect for Valentine's Day, parties, or just as a nice little gift for someone. Click here for the wrappers and instructions.

One of my favorite craft bloggers Yvonne Eijkenduijn of Yvestown has added some beautiful handmade products to her shop. Pictured above is a boxed letter cushion, a scented teacup light, and an Ikea Skruvsta Chair pattern. So pretty!

I'm a complete sucker for beautiful food photography. I can spend literally hours searching through gorgeous cookbooks, well-designed photo-based food blogs, and Flickr food photography groups. To me, it is absolute perfection when someone can truly capture the beauty of food. Last night I was searching through Etsy for food photos to someday purchase for our kitchen walls and came across some really lovely images from some familar and some new sellers.

Yesterday I was able to make it out to Target (it's quite a trek from our house to there without a car) and I was happy to see the new DwellStudio for Target line of baby goods. I have been a huge fan of DwellStudio for quite a long time, so I am quite pleased to see the new, very affordable and accessible collection. The designs are not dissapointing at all; everything is simple, modern, and sweet, as usual.

1.25.2008

I really love these handmade cushions by Massey & Rogers. Barbara Massey and Helen Rogers create them using vintage buttons and hand-dyed fabrics with lovely screen printed images. All the cushions are made individually and so the fabrics are put together in different ways, so you never know what fabulous mixture of patterns you might get.($80 each)

Flickr Fridays are back! This week's theme is beauty in everyday life, which is one of my favorite photo subjects (3191 is my favorite website for this). There is something just so lovely and calming about simple photographs from day-to-day life: a cup of coffee, morning light hitting the breakfast table, a bubble bath, etcetera. Oh, how I love it all.

One of my favorite things to do while stuck inside from the cold of the winter is baking. The heat from the oven, the smell that fills the house, the delicious finished products... I love it all. And to me, there is nothing like a fresh-baked loaf of bread. Served warm with jam, honey, or butter, it is the perfect food for a blustery day.

Oh, how I love vintage ceramics. I dream of having a beautiful antique hutch (like this one!) filled with them. If you are a lover of them too, Corolla Cream is having a sale- everything is half off! All of the items above are from their website. Aren't they lovely?

I have had my eye on Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros for awhile now, but have never shelled out the thirty dollars to purchase it, so I was quite happy to find it for half off at Anthropologie last week. I am someone who swoons over beautiful cookbooks, and this is one of the prettiest ones I haved seen. The cookbook is organized by color and filled with gorgeous bright photographs and children's illustrations. Although there are many meaty recipes (I am a vegetarian), there are still a ton of wonderful dishes throughout. Some of my favorites include: Jam Shortbread, Lemon Sandwiches with Raspberries and Cream, Spelt and Cranberry Bean Soup, and Brown Bread and Butter Ice Cream. All in all, it's a gorgeously designed book that will bring back sweet childhood memories.

From the introduction: "I have looked in the hide-and-seek places of children to find four-leaf clovers; dug through the coloring boxes of summer and winter and found many treasures. This is about whispering advice to a sister, swapping recipes over fences, sharing crumbs on a train with a stranger. I am passing on those things that I wish to know from people-the very stuff that makes me smile and puts a twinkle in my eye. The things that we hold, together with emergency cookies, in our apron pockets-that we take to bed with us at night."

1.22.2008

I am absolutely crazy about Nicole Balch's home, so I always get quite excited when she posts new photographs over on Making it Lovely, her fabulous home design blog. These are two of the new photos she posted yesterday and I just love them (see more of them here).

I have been noticing them popping up all over the place, sweet little acorns in all forms and sizes. I must say, I quite adore this trend. I don't know what it is about acorns, but there is just something to love about them.

1.19.2008

A note to Los Angeles residents: Tonight the LA ReForm School is kicking off a fabulous art show spotlighting the work of the oh-so-talented Matte Stevens. The opening reception is from 7-9 and will feature new works, cupcakes, and alcohol. So, what are you waiting for?

1.18.2008

While digging through my bookmarks last night (I easily have a couple thousand of them), I came across the work of Stephanie Dearmond. I remember seeing her stunning ceramic pieces quite a long time ago, but thoroughly enjoyed browsing through each old and new piece all over again. The above one happens to be my favorite- I am always a sucker for sweet sentiments.

It is really hard not to adore Tim Gunn. There is such a sweetness and dapperness about him that is just wonderful, so I was quite happy to find this card dedicated to him, designed by Chicago's La Familia Green. This is defininitely going on our fridge. ($3)

I have been meaning to post this since I saw it on Thisnext last week. This conceptual piece, entitled the 'Love Mattress', allows you to fully embrace/spoon/hug your lover in every way possible. There are crevices/nooks every few inches to stick your body parts, which allows for very comfortable embracing.

The award-winning designer Mehdi Mojtabi believes that "Embracing is a magical human behaviour, and one that distinguishes us from other animals. A loving embrace, especially between partners, is one of the most calming actions. Embracing, and bodily proximity and connection after lovemaking, are very important for strengthening relationships. However, what usually stops this pleasant state is not mental tiredness; it is physical weakness."

Beautiful idea. For more information on the 'Love Mattress,' check out RedDot.

The combination of red and white has always been one of my favorite color combinations, but I think I always get a little bit more in love with it during this time of year with all the Valentine's Day goodies all over the place.

1.16.2008

Wow. The ever-talented Stephanie Congdon Barnes just posted this amazing valentine over on her blog. She will be adding a mini-collection of alternative valentines entitled Love Notes in her Etsy shop on January 22nd at 11 am PST, so be on the lookout!

I am quite excited- this summer these fabulous postage stamps will be available from the US Postal Service. Each of the sixteen stamps will feature one of the many groundbreaking designs of Charles and Ray Eames, unarguably two of the best designers of our time. I am definitely going to stock up on these when they get released.

1.15.2008

One of my favorite bloggers and fellow Portlanders, Alicia Paulson of Posie Gets Cozy, just started a brand new website for herself at Aliciapaulson.com. On the new site, she combines all of her many inspiring projects, including her photography, crafting, and even a whole page dedicated to that sugar-sweet studio that she is so famous for.

1.13.2008

This just might be my favorite fabric from Marimekko thus far, seen here on an absolutely gorgeous duvet from Relish. If I had that on my bed, it would be quite difficult to ever want to leave (Twin Duvet, $102).

I am loving the Crochetdream line of objects from German designers Frenchknicker. Reminiscent of Alyssa Ettinger's knitware, these porcelain bowls so closely resemble soft crochet pieces. Absolutely beautiful, I must say.

1.09.2008

These beautiful confections are just too lovely to hide in the side links. They are perfect little vegan cakes layered with jam, rolled in marzipan, dipped in fondant, and drizzled with chocolate. Now, if that doesn't sound good to you, you must be crazy. Check out Lolo of VeganYumYum's recipe for petits fours right here.

A new year, a somewhat new layout... saying goodbye to the holiday gift guide and hello to the color pink. The holidays came and went in a flash and now I cannot believe we're already into the second week of 2008. We arrived back home to Portland yesterday and now all I want to do is curl in bed with my laptop and take a nice long rest.

Some new year's resolutions I have for this website:-Update very frequently.-Begin doing interviews with inspiring people.-Spotlight a ton of new artists.-Interact with my readers-Add many new features.

One thing I managed to get accomplished this evening is a new flickr set containing a large amount of fresh and modern interiors that inspire me greatly. I will continue to update the set on a very regular basis, so be on the lookout for new images: My Interiors Set.